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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/games-of-a-lifetime-sams-picks/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/games-of-a-lifetime-sams-picks/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/games-of-a-lifetime-sams-picks/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsAfter more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime.

Some days, it seems like cynicism and derision earn more applause than kindness and optimism, and the things we love most can feel like they're the most neglected. So it can go with games, as we see hatred and vitriol spread online, watch quality of games dip and companies utilize decidedly unfriendly business practices on consumers. But there's a reason I got into this hobby, and there's a reason I got into this job:

I love games.

I want to see games continue to evolve, change and grow. I want my enthusiasm for them to never die, for my joy and sense of camaraderie in my fellow gamers to always persist. And so, at a time when it would be very easy to be jaded, we've decided to instead continue talking about why we love games. These are my picks for games of a lifetime.

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blizzardbungiegames-of-a-lifetimehaloHalo-Combat-Evolvedinsomniac-gameskonamimicrosoftsegasilent-hillsilent-hill-2sonic-adventuresonic-teamsonic-the-hedgehogspyrospyro-the-dragonstar-wars-galaxiesWorld-of-WarcraftwowMon, 02 Feb 2015 16:00:00 -050011|21137524http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/2d-fighter-dengeki-bunko-fighting-climax-will-reach-the-west/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Following its Japanese debut last November, Sega has announced plans to publish Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax on the PlayStation 3 and Vita handheld in Western territories later this year.

As the title suggests, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a dream match of sorts that pits characters from the Dengeki Bunko line of Japanese light novels against one another in fairly traditional (if visually spectacular) 2D combat. Because Sega's publishing the game, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax also features some notable characters from the company's extensive history in games, including Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles and Virtua Fighter icon Akira.

No specific launch date has yet been nailed down for Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, but Sega plans to release the game to both retail and the PlayStation Network at some point this Summer.

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dengeki-bunko-fighting-climaxplaystationplaystation-vitaps3segavitaFri, 30 Jan 2015 15:30:00 -050011|21137238http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly are indirectly responsible for one hell of a laundry bill, as it was announced today that Alien: Isolation has officially sold one million copies worldwide. Accounting for at least one million players, and factoring in regular sessions with Alien: Isolation's precision engineered terror, we're talking millions of soiled undergarments. We're not aware of any spikes in detergent sales, but it seems like a given.

We're rather fond of Alien: Isolation here at Joystiq, where the game stealthily crept into our top ten games of 2014.

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alien-isolationaliens-isolationcreative-assemblymicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4segaxboxxbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 -050011|21132930http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/3d-after-burner-2-m2s-quest-for-port-perfection/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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"Arcade-perfect" is a term that was bandied about in the '80s and '90s as developers struggled to port state-of-the-art arcade games to significantly less powerful console hardware. Compromises were made, features were removed, and many ports that were billed as "arcade-perfect" still needed to be scaled back quite a bit compared to their cabinet counterparts.

These days, consoles boast enough horsepower to emulate classic games at a software level - virtually recreating arcade hardware in order to run original programming code, rather than porting graphics, sound, and gameplay components from scratch. Purists argue, however, that straightforward emulation lacks a certain appeal specific to original hardware. Playing the classic racer Daytona USA using an Xbox 360 controller, for instance, is a vastly different experience compared to sitting in the cockpit of the original arcade cabinet and gripping a force feedback-equipped steering wheel that fights you at every turn.

Arcade-perfect ports still elude many publishers. Japanese porting studio M2, however, sets its sights higher than mere perfection.

M2's 3D After Burner 2, released in the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America this week, is more than an arcade-perfect port. Not only does it make great strides toward simulating the look and feel of a classic arcade game, but it also improves on the game's original design in ways that its creators planned but never fully achieved. The result is perhaps the first "complete" look at After Burner 2 as it was originally envisioned, and it's a rare treat for classic gaming enthusiasts.

Confirmation for Total War: Warhammer comes from The Art of Total War book, wherein Creative Assembly's Mike Simpson is quoted as saying: "...and taking the series to a fantasy setting with Total War: Warhammer." The mention was spotted by an eagle-eyed TotalWarCenter.net user.

Creative Assembly's foray into the world of Warhammer is of no surprise, as the company completed a licensing agreement with intellectual property owner Games Workshop in December 2012. Since the agreement was solidified, Creative Assembly has continued its Total War series, as well as taking some time to expand into the world of Ridley Scott's Alien, much to the enjoyment of the Joystiq staff.

Joystiq has contacted Sega for comment on the reveal, but no response was offered at the time of publishing.

EurogamerTotalWarCenter.net
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Creative-AssemblyGames-WorkshoppcSegaTotal-War-WarhammerWarhammerWed, 14 Jan 2015 22:00:00 -050011|21129781http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/alien-isolations-third-dlc-adds-one-life-only-salvage-mode/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Are you a survivor, unclouded by conscience, remorse or delusions of morality? If that sounds like you then maybe let's not do coffee... but you may want to check out Alien: Isolation's new Safe Haven DLC. The add-on's new Salvage Mode tasks you with completing ten challenges in a large map as you try to escape from You-Know-Who (not Voldermort) within the time limit.

The catch? You've got one life. While dying does take you back to your last saved challenge, it'll cost your final score. So to really do the business on the leaderboards, you'll need to make it through all ten challenges without perishing. On the flipside, if you collect enough points you can trade them in to save your progress.

Like the previous DLC, you get to play another new character in Safe Haven. This time around it's Hughes, Sevastopol's communications manager and one of the first unfortunate souls you encounter in the main game. The last bit of intel is that Safe Haven introduces another new mode, Marathon, letting you play Survivor Mode maps in the order of your choosing.

For a glimpse at the seemingly misnamed Safe Haven, check out Sega's teaser trailer below the break. If you still want in, the DLC is due to hit all platforms today, except in Europe where PS4 and PS3 players are on standby 'til tomorrow. If you've got the $30 season pass then you have already paid for the pleasure, otherwise the asking price is $8.
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Sega
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alien-isolationaliens-isolationcreative-assemblyDLCmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4release-datesegasteamxboxxbox-oneTue, 13 Jan 2015 11:00:00 -050011|21128886http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/3d-after-burner-2-simulates-multiple-arcade-cabinet-styles/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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If your memories of Sega's classic arcade shoot-'em-up After Burner 2 are tied to one of the game's many unique cabinet styles, a new port for the Nintendo 3DS will hit you with an unexpected wave of nostalgia. The upcoming 3D After Burner 2 will simulate all of the game's arcade cabinet variations, porting studio M2 revealed as part of an ongoing interview series this week.

"The game had a number of arcade cabinet variations, starting with the 'Double Cradle' (moved both forward/backward and left/right) and the 'Single Cradle' (moved left/right)," the article reads. "More variations were released later, including 'Sit-down' and 'Upright' variations." Footage demonstrating the "Double Cradle" variant is available here.

3D After Burner 2 will simulate any of these machines at the player's option, surrounding the gameplay screen with cabinet artwork and flickering lights that indicate incoming enemy attacks. Another option simulates cabinet movement, tilting the emulated gameplay screen at appropriate angles according to player flight paths.

M2 previously simulated arcade cabinet aesthetics and motion in last year's 3DS ports of Space Harrier and Super Hang-On. 3D After Burner 2 will launch for the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America this Thursday, January 15.

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It's like that bit at the end of Alien. You're finally able to relax in the knowledge that it's all over, you're safe. You give Jones a hug, put him in the cryotube, get undressed down to your skimpy underthings, all ready to chill. Then suddenly... OH CRAP. You aren't safe. You never were. You thought you'd escaped, butAliens: Colonial Marines and Aliens vs. Predator 2010 are... Still. On. Steam. And you're in nothing but your undergarbs.

The two Aliens games mysteriously left the Steam station last week, but now they've returned with just as little explanation. The new year timing suggests licensing issues played their part, but there's not been any official comment on the matter - we've reached out to publisher Sega to find out more. In any case, the important thing is they're back, everything appears to be in order, and you should probably get some clothes on.

Game InformerSteam (1), (2)
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Sega's next wave of 3D-enhanced Classics looks set to begin January 15 with After Burner 2, going by new eShop listings. Nintendo's storefronts in North America and Europe have the arcade air fighter down for that date, though Sega's yet to make any announcements. We've reached out to the publisher to confirm the ETA for some top-gunning action.

According to its eShop description After Burner 2 includes 23 stages and comes with a selection of "real arcade cabinets," new difficulty settings, new graphical options, and the standard Classics addition of stereoscopic 3D. Also, if you beat all 23 stages you unlock an extra mode that features "even more gameplay enhancements."

Nintendo Life, Nintendo Everything
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3d-after-burner-23dsafter-burner-2eShopnintendorelease-datesegasega-3d-classicssega-am2Wed, 07 Jan 2015 07:00:00 -050011|21126037http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/ablegamers-names-the-top-aaa-indie-games-of-2014/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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The AbleGamers Foundation, an organization that advocates on behalf of the gaming disability community, has picked Bayonetta 2 as the most accessible mainstream game of 2014, while Always Sometimes Monsters and This War of Mine are the organization's first-ever winners in the new independent game category. Bayonetta 2 receives the AbleGamers' Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year award because it is a "near-perfect example of game accessibility" that allows players to choose from a multitude of control options, AbleGamers says in a press release.

"Bayonetta 2 stands out among other accessible mainstream games by paying careful attention to user-friendly game experience," the release reads. "The inclusion of a one-button combat mode creates an experience other character-action titles should implement. As a proof of concept, this game demonstrates that accessibility can be implemented into a mainstream AAA game without harming any of the gameplay. Popular titles such as Shadow of Mordor could easily implement one-button mode for those who need such accessibility while leaving complicated controls for those who prefer those methods, and still award players with a top-notch game that is accessible to everyone."

What are you looking at, you blue freak? Wagging your finger at us like you're all that. Think we're impressed that you hang out with a fox with two tails? Well... we are! That's super cool! But the fact that your eyes sort of connect into a single giant eye is gross! And why are you blue? That is not a natural color for hedgehogs, man. Get that checked out. How about we check it out for you! We'll check it out so fast, you won't even know what happened. We'll take what's arguably your most beloved game, Sonic, and we'll beat it in two hours or die trying.

Okay, fine, no one's going to die. But Sinan Kubba (@SinanKubba), Joystiq's ferocious UK editor, is still going to try and defeat Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in roughly two hours starting at 3:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST, come rain or shine, but we stream all the time. If you want to make sure you catch us when we go live, follow us on Twitch.

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joystiq-streamsSegasonic the hedgehog 2SpeedRunTue, 06 Jan 2015 16:00:00 -050011|21125564http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/03/aliens-colonial-marines-avp-2010-vacate-steams-air-ducts/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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The age of digital distribution brings with it many joys: sales are frequent, there's less clutter around the home, and no more blowing into cartridges. Unfortunately, it also brings unique disadvantages, such as games suddenly disappearing from digital marketplaces. Such is the tale of Aliens: Colonial Marines and Alien Vs. Predator (the 2010 version) on Steam.

It's likely that the games being removed from Steam is due to a licensing issue, considering that the games (which utilize properties owned by 20th Century Fox) were available right up until 2015 started. However, it's interesting to note that Aliens: Colonial Marines is still available as a digital purchase on both PSN and the Xbox Marketplace, while AvP is available not on the former, but the latter. Alien: Isolation is still available on all fronts, and the original version of Aliens Vs. Predator from 2000 is also still up for grabs on Steam.

We've reached out to publisher Sega for more information, and will update if we hear back. In the meantime, stay frosty.

EurogamerSteam
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aliens-colonial-marinesaliens-vs-predatorgearboxpcrebellionsegasteamvalveSat, 03 Jan 2015 17:00:00 -050011|21123922http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-alien-isolation/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-alien-isolation/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-alien-isolation/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

I'm suspicious of Alien: Isolation as I play it, waiting for the leather shoe to drop and seeing a meddling executive come chasing after it. It's just a cartoon in my head, sure, but these games are made or broken by how well they can bend to the needs of the creator, the desires of the publisher and the expectations of a varied audience. A low-action survival game with a persistent stalker isn't usually where video game aliens end up - not even THE alien.

You start questioning everything. There are too many jagged parts for a blockbuster game, too many harsh pitfalls for the easily frustrated player, too much smart enthusiasm for what is truthfully a tarnished property. And on top of that it's supposed to be an intimate horror game from Creative Assembly, the studio best known for giving you a god's view in the Total War strategy games.

And yet few studios could have been as suitable as Creative Assembly, for fanatically recreating not only the look of 1979's 'Alien', but instilling the same vulnerability and paranoia that must have clung to the film's lone human survivor, Ellen Ripley. Alien: Isolation puts her clever daughter in a similar predicament, inherits a horrible monster with a matryoshka doll of mouths, and proves that authenticity is key not only in historical fact. Whereas Total War unfurls the history books as best it can, Alien: Isolation is devoted to recreating the timeless truths of Ridley Scott's film: its look, its unpredictable killer and the sigh of relief we share with those who survive.

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alienalien-isolationaliens-isolationbest-of-2014creative-assemblyjoystiq-best-of-2014microsoftpcplaystationps3ps4recommendedsegaxboxxbox-oneFri, 02 Jan 2015 14:00:00 -050011|21123472http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/sonic-teams-sonic-runners-announced-for-smartphones/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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The next game from the hedgehog hive mind of Sonic Team is Sonic Runners, and it's coming to smartphones next year. Sega producer Takashi Iizuka announced the game at a Sonic fan event in Tokyo, and Famitsu says more details will spill next month. For now we just have the name, dev, platform and 2015 window - and no word either way on a Western release.

Sonic Team's last hog roast was Sonic: Lost World back in 2013, and since then the venerable studio's pumped out Puyo Puyo Tetris in Japan. It did supervise work on 2014's Sonic Booms, but they were chiefly developed by American teams Big Red Button and Sanzaru Games.

We may yet see something more sizable starring Sonic next year. Earlier this year a German toy fair promo seemed to let the hedgehog out of the bag, noting a new Sonic game for PS4, Xbox One and Wii U in 2015. Sega quickly stepped in to denounce the info as "incorrect."
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SiliconeraFamitsu
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japanmobilerelease-datesegasonic-runnerssonic-teamsonic-the-hedgehogMon, 29 Dec 2014 09:00:00 -050011|21121936http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/24/psn-store-update-alien-isolation-diablo-3-more/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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In a last-ditch effort to get in your wallet before the end of the year, the PlayStation Store has a number of good deals on games this week. Among the many deals for PS4 players at the moment, Alien: Isolation is $35.99 ($29.99 for PS Plus members), while the game's season pass is down to $14.99. Additionally, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is $39.59 ($35.99 on PS Plus), Escape Goat 2 is half-price ($5, $4 on PS Plus), Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is just $6.80 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is $25 ($20 on PS Plus).

As for Vita, players can download Danganronpa 2 for $27.99 ($23.99 on PS Plus), Nidhogg for $10.49 ($8.99 through PS Plus), Thomas Was Alone and Stealth Inc. for $3.99 each as well as Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut for $5 ($4 via PS Plus). A number of games, such as Nidhogg and Thomas Was Alone, are Cross-Buy compatible, so those with multiple systems only need to pay once to access each version. That includes Flippfly's Race the Sun, which is down to $6.99 at the moment across all three PlayStation platforms ($5.99 on PS Plus). Head over to PlayStation Blog for a full list of the current deals.

PlayStation Blog
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alien-isolationaliens-isolationassassins-creed-4-black-flagcreative-assemblydiablo-3discountsescape-goat-2metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroesnidhoggplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-plusPlayStation-Storeplaystation-vitaps-plusps3ps4psnrace-the-sunsalesegathomas-was-alonevitaWed, 24 Dec 2014 12:00:00 -050011|21120906http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/sega-hires-media-exec-to-adapt-its-games-for-tv-films-web/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Sega continues its push to enter the world of non-gaming media by hiring Evan Choflin to adapt a number of the publisher's classic games for movies, TV series and web-focused digital content.

In his new role, Choflin will lead Stories International, a collaboration between Sega and ad agency Hakuhodo DY Group designed to create mass market video content. According to Variety, Stories International has access to a wide range of classic Sega properties, including Golden Axe and Virtua Fighter. Before those beloved series are adapted, however, Choflin plans to move forward on adaptations of Altered Beast, Crazy Taxi, Shinobi and Streets of Rage, among other notable Sega hits. Absent from the Stories International portfolio is Sega mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, presumably because the blue rodent already has a cartoon.

It's unknown how Stories International plans to adapt these games, nor when these adaptations might reach the public.

Variety
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evan-choflingolden-axesegashinobivirtua-fighterFri, 12 Dec 2014 17:30:00 -050011|21115575http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/after-burner-climax-faces-xbla-psn-delisting-this-month/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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This month is your last chance to pick up Sega's arcade-ported shoot-'em-up After Burner Climax on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Digital storefront monitor lifelower reports that the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions of After Burner Climax will be permanently delisted on December 24.

Buyers will be able to redownload purchased copies of After Burner Climax at a later date, but once the game is delisted, it can no longer be bought or added to a user's software library. Sega Nerds speculates that expired licensing agreements between Sega and the manufacturers of the real-world aircraft featured in After Burner Climax are to blame for the game's forthcoming removal. A similar issue resulted in the deletion of Sega's Ferrari-licensed racer OutRun Online Arcade from digital storefronts in 2011.

Starting next year, if you want to legally play After Burner Climax and don't already own a digital copy, you'll need to track down an original arcade machine. Here's a tip: The GameWorks across the street from the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle hosts a pair of Climax cabinets, so you might want to make plans to visit the next time you're in town for PAX Prime.

Sega Nerds@lifelower
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Being fluent in over six million forms of communication looks great on a résumé, but it's oddly useless when dealing with something that snarls through two mouths. C-3PO, the precious protocol droid from Star Wars, learns this and a few more things on his trip through the intolerable Sevastopol station in Alien: Isolation.

And just like in the game, it takes a while before the odds of survival really start dropping off. Let's play with C-3PO!

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alien-isolationaliens-isolationc-3pomicrosoftpcplaystationps3segastar-warsxboxxbox-oneWed, 10 Dec 2014 10:00:00 -050011|21004660http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/alien-isolation-adds-difficulty-modes-for-two-extremes/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/alien-isolation-adds-difficulty-modes-for-two-extremes/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/alien-isolation-adds-difficulty-modes-for-two-extremes/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Do you like Alien: Isolation but wish the xenomorph was hard of hearing? Or maybe you found Creative Assembly's survival horror such a breeze that you could've beaten it with a busted motion tracker? Sure, you can already choose from Easy, Normal and Hard modes, but what if you're hiding in a vent sitting on the extremities of the star-ship Bell Curve?

If any of the above applies to you, you should check out today's update which adds Novice and Nightmare difficulty modes to the game for free.
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Sega
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alien-isolationaliens-isolationcreative-assemblymicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4segaupdatexboxxbox-oneTue, 09 Dec 2014 13:30:00 -050011|21005015http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/yakuza-5-coming-to-western-playstations-in-2015/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/yakuza-5-coming-to-western-playstations-in-2015/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/yakuza-5-coming-to-western-playstations-in-2015/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
The Yakuza series is headed west. Sony announced during its PlayStation Experience keynote that Yakuza 5 will be coming to stateside PlayStation 3 systems next year, while Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls (both previously available in disc form for the PS3) will be available on the PSN starting this week.

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playstationplaystation-experience-2014ps3psnpsx-2014segayakuzayakuza-5Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:30:00 -050011|21003817http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/02/step-into-alien-isolations-trauma-center-in-second-dlc/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/02/step-into-alien-isolations-trauma-center-in-second-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/02/step-into-alien-isolations-trauma-center-in-second-dlc/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#commentsAlien: Isolation's second survivor mode pack is now available to download. Dubbed "Trauma," the add-on introduces Sevastopol's medical officer, Dr. Lingard, as a playable character. Lingard explores three new maps in the game while seeking to destroy her research on the Alien, witnessing the consequences of bringing the creature onboard the station. The DLC is now available for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC with PS3 and PS4 downloads opening to PlayStation owners tomorrow in Europe and Thursday in North America.

Trauma is one of five Survivor Mode add-ons for Alien: Isolation, the first being Corporate Lockdown, which launched in October. The next three pieces of DLC for the mode are Safe Haven, Lost Contact and The Trigger. All five packs are part of the game's $30 season pass, which happens to be half-off on Steam today along with the game itself ($25). Each pack is available for purchase individually for $8.

If you recently found yourself racked by feelings of wistful nostalgia while grinding the rails of Sunset Overdrive, the trivia gurus at Did You Know Gaming have the perfect solution: An in-depth examination of Sega's cult graffiti-and-rollerblades hit Jet Set Radio.

Pay any amount for the bundle and you'll get the surreal score-attack action game Nights Into Dreams, kart racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and the Dreamcast Collection, which includes PC versions of Sonic Adventure, Sega Bass Fishing, Crazy Taxi, and Space Channel 5 Part 2.

The package also offers Total War: Rome II's "Caesar in Gaul" expansion and the Miles' Tactic DLC for Football Manager 2015. Beat the bundle's average purchase price (currently $3.68) and you'll unlock Empire: Total War, Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies: Oberkommando West, and additional games that will be revealed as the bundle enters its final week.

Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai is up for grabs as a $12 incentive, and you can also get an exclusive Dreamcast-themed t-shirt with a purchase of $50 or more. The Humble Sega Bundle will be available through December 9.

We had the chance to stop her, but now it's too late. Hatsune Miku has taken over.

At this point, Miku is a global phenomenon. The virtual pop idol recently infiltrated American culture in a guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman and as an opening act for Lady Gaga, but her worldwide success comes as a result of a fascinating mixture of official licensing and fan-made mythos. Miku herself may be rooted in sterile voice synthesis software, but it's the work of fans that gave her a vibrantly marketable identity.

This unique melding of fandom and Japanese idol culture defines Sega's Hatsune Miku: Project Diva series, which showcases fan-made art and music alongside slickly produced rhythm-driven gameplay. The latest series entry, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd, introduces game-changing features and streamlines its predecessor's weaker elements while crafting a surprisingly diverse challenge for rhythm game veterans.%Gallery-slideshow245717%